Network Thinking, Polysingularity Approach

Section 2 – Modulating Dynamics of Cognitive Networks

Unit 2/4 – Intra-Contextual Reconfiguration

In the previous unit we introduced some basic concepts from network science: nodes, edges and communities. We have shown that the structure of network representation depends on the basis that’s used for representing the connectivity.

This is a crucial point, because as soon as you change the basis, the representation changes, and so does your view of the situation – leading to a different set of potential actions that you can take within.

We call the practice of changing the basis for connectivity “contextual reconfiguration” and there are two ways to do it:1) keeping the basis intact, staying within the same context, but changing relations within;2) changing the basis, transforming the context, letting the new relations emerge;

We will now look at these two approaches in more detail using the example from the previous unit.

Acting Inside the Context

Intra-contextual reconfiguration keeps the same basis (context), but attempts to relink the relations within. We will use the example from the previous unit to demonstrate how it can be done:

This given situation is “you” having a certain interest in “your work”, wanting to expand your practice, searching for something on “google” and “internet”, finding “this text” written by “dmitry” for “noduslabs.com” on the subject of “network science”.

Now that we have an overview of this situation, let’s see how we can act inside.

Acting means making pathways along this network, following the already existing routes, creating the new ones.

Exercise: Changing the Context

Try to make a new link in the network above imagining how “your work” itself could benefit from the concepts used in “network science” and the other way round. For example, if you are interested in learning, you could represent your knowledge as a network of nodes and edges. This additional perspective on what you already know could probably give you some new ideas on your field of interest and open up new possibilities for further experiment. Then maybe there is something in your field of knowledge that could be interesting to the field of “network science”, which could expand its operative range as well.

Please, describe your field of interest

A brief description what you’re working on, what you’re interested in, or simply the #keywords of the moment that are important to you.

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Please, describe how it can benefit from the ideas from network science

If you use network concepts (nodes, edges, communities, relations, basis for connectivity) – what does it provoke in relation to your field of interest?

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Please, describe how network science could be informed by your field of interest

Just a few words about how network science could benefit from the ideas / things you’re interesting / thinking about…